It’s Ann here today. Andy is in OurLittleCorner touting a holiday shrub.
“Our Amazing Dog” – from the Australian Michael Leunig – echoes our wishes for 2026.
In 2016 Dorie Greenspan, a favorite cookbook author of mine, released her book Dorie’s Cookies. And she suggested we needed a “cookies and kindness” effort based on her belief that “you give a cookie and you get joy.” What could be better to include in this blog than one of her cookie recipes – with the thought that you make them to give as holiday gifts.
To quote a new young UCSC friend of ours, “Sending love and light <3<3<3.”
Happy Holidays from BigLittleMeals and Ann and Andy – and Choco and Ono and Wynn
Dorie's Pfefferneusse Cookies
- 2 c flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp Diamond kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground white (traditional) or black pepper
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
- 1/4 tsp Colman’s dry mustard (optional)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 c sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- 6 T butter, cut into chunks and at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c finely chopped pecans
- powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Whisk the flour, all the spices, the baking powder and the baking soda together. Put the sugar and zest into a food processor and pulse several times. Add the butter and process until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the processor with a flexible spatula, then add the dry ingredients all at once and pulse a few times or until the flour is just barely incorporated. Stir in the chopped nuts.
Scoop up rounded teaspoonfuls and use your hands to make about 1″-sized balls of dough. Place the balls 1 1/2″ apart on the baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cookies are cracked, light beige on top and golden brown on the bottom. Transfer the cookies to racks. If you’re going to dust the cookies with powdered sugar, allow them to rest for 10 minutes, then place parchment paper under the racks and dust them.
Store the fully-cooled cookies in a covered container at room temperature. They will easily keep a week or more – or freeze them (preferably dusting them with the powdered sugar after you’ve defrosted them).
💓